Onsite Leasing Agent - Lease-Up Specialist

About the role

This is a commission-eligible sales role for someone who thinks like a closer, not a gatekeeper. The successful candidate will be the primary driver of traffic generation, tour conversion and closing velocity during the community's initial fill period, and will continue to own leasing performance through stabilization.

Lease-Up Execution

• Own the leasing funnel from first point of contact through signed lease: inquiry, tour, application, approval and move-in
• Drive lease-up pace against a defined absorption schedule and escalate pacing risk proactively

Traffic Generation

• Proactively source prospects beyond passive inbound leads: local business partnerships, community events, corporate relocation outreach, referral programs, social media presence and grassroots marketing specific to the Wilmington market
• Identify and test creative, low-cost traffic-driving tactics appropriate for a new community that does not have an established reputation yet
• Partner with the marketing and regional team to flag what is converting and what is not, in real time

Sales and Closing

• Convert tours into signed leases through a consultative, high-energy sales approach rather than order-taking
• Handle objections on price, timing and competing communities with confidence, and offer creative, policy-compliant solutions to get deals across the line
• Maintain accurate, timely CRM and guest card documentation on every prospect touchpoint

Compliance and Documentation

• Ensure every lease, application and screening decision complies with Fair Housing, FCRA and company policy
• Maintain licensure requirements and complete required continuing education
• Escalate any fair housing, applicant dispute or legally sensitive situation to the SVP of Operations immediately rather than resolving it independently

Community Presentation

• Maintain model units, the leasing office and community common areas in show-ready condition at all times
• Coordinate with construction and turnover teams to ensure units are tour-ready and move-in-ready on schedule

Reporting

• Provide regular leasing activity reports on a daily or weekly cadence: traffic, tours, applications, approvals, denials and closed leases
• Flag pacing gaps, competitive pricing intelligence and market feedback that could affect lease-up strategy
• Reports to the SVP of Operations

Schedule

Wednesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Onsite presence is required all five days, with no remote or hybrid flexibility during the lease-up phase. The schedule may require adjustment around move-in events, marketing pushes or leasing deadlines at management discretion.

Required Qualifications

• Active North Carolina real estate license in good standing
• Minimum 2 years of lease-up-specific experience in new construction, build-to-rent or single-family and townhome rental lease-up
• Must reside in or be willing to relocate to the greater Wilmington, NC area prior to start
• Working familiarity with the Wilmington, NC rental market: competitive set, pricing dynamics, seasonal demand patterns and local renter profile
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, target-driven, unstabilized-community environment
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to build rapport quickly with prospective residents
• Working knowledge of Fair Housing laws and the ability to lease in full compliance with federal, state and local regulations
• Reliable transportation and the ability to work the required weekend-inclusive schedule

Required Systems Proficiency

• Yardi, for leasing, applications and reporting
• HubSpot, for lead management and CRM follow-up
• RingCentral, for phone and communications
• Power BI, for leasing pacing dashboards and reporting

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with townhome product specifically, including multi-level unit tours and exterior and grounds presentation
• A history of exceeding leasing velocity goals in a commission-based structure
• An existing local network or referral relationships within the Wilmington market
• Familiarity with digital lead generation tools: ILS platforms, social media leasing campaigns and CRM follow-up systems

Core Competencies

• Sales mentality: sees every tour as a closable deal, not a maybe
• Creativity: generates non-obvious ways to drive traffic to a community that has no brand recognition yet
• Urgency: operates with a lease-up clock in mind, because every vacant day carries a cost
• Resilience: handles rejection and slow weeks without losing momentum
• Judgment: knows the difference between creative and non-compliant, and escalates gray areas rather than guessing

Physical Requirements

• Ability to walk the community and show units multiple times daily, including exterior grounds and stairs, given townhome product
• Ability to work outdoors during tours in varying weather conditions

Benefits

• Competitive hourly base commensurate with experience, plus a per-lease commission structure built to reward volume and speed-to-lease during the lease-up period
• Full-time hours with generous annual holiday pay and PTO
• Medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, commuter accounts, health savings accounts, life and AD&D insurance, Disability, Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital Indemnity, Identity Protection, Legal Services, and Pet Wellness